My past, present and future can be seen in the objects carefully arranged in my home. My belongings and my longings are all here. Along the way, home balances the sacred part of my story. The bits and pieces of who I was, who I am and who I am becoming are rooted in my first home and have evolved in the homes I”™ve made along the way.
I am not unique in this. Home is a feeling for most of us. We know how hard it is at times to move on. How could we when we”™ve heard that “home is where the heart is,” “home is where your mom is,” “home is where you hang your hat,” “home is where your story begins,” “there”™s no place like home,” and on and on?
It was moving day over a year after my father died. My brother and I were moving mom out of the apartment where she raised all her children. My brother and I stood in what was our living room. It was stark, cold and echoed as we spoke as if the memories were floating all away. We were broken hearted standing in the empty space. I felt I was abandoning all the people who came and went throughout the years I lived there.
Once again, these are common feelings. They are feelings that ground us. These are the feelings many of us have when we move on. When someone has a memory impairment those feelings remain. They are feelings of balance, safety, love, comfort and reassurance. These feelings are sought when home feels lost. The need to center oneself is never more important than when you feel so much is slipping away. One needs to find sacred ground; a place where there is no judgment and kindness prevails.
When residents move into The Greens at Greenwich, they carry much of their home within them. They seek the essence of a safe space to “hang their hat,” feel their story can continue and be embraced by people who will love them unconditionally. At The Greens at Greenwich, we know that there is no place like home and that more than anything else Home is a Feeling.
By Maria Scaros, Executive Director, The Greens at Greenwich.
